I will Follow You into the Dark
by Moon Bunny
Summary: Ikuko is reincarnated Queen Serenity with all of the memories of her kingdom. There are two rules to her reincarnation: she cannot tell anyone and she cannot use the Silver Crystal. AU drabble series. Will Usagi ever figure it out? Will Ikuko try to interfere even though she risks death ?
1. Prologue

A/N: This is a Drabble Series with a plot that continues between chapters - AU Where Queen Serenity is reborn as Ikuko. It follows her point of view, so doesn't get to into detail about what the scouts are doing on a day to day whole team makes appearances, but the focus is on Ikuko's and Usagi's relationship from Ikuko's POV. Each Chapter is a single scene- some chapters are much longer than others. I really hope you enjoy this!

Big Thanks To CassieRaven (for Beta-ing) and The Rising Phoenix, for cheering me on every step of the way.

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Ikuko took a deep breath, pulling back wavy dark curly hair into a high ponytail in her bedroom mirror. Her thoughts spinning around the day prior, when she'd seen her. The first moment of shock in the years she'd been waiting.

A Little Black cat with a crescent moon bald spot on her head, who went by the name Luna, sauntered through the front door as if she had every right to parade around inside the home, when she'd never seen it before. Trailing behind her teenage daughter, as if any normal stray cat from the street would go near Usagi's exuberance instead of hiding in the nearest alley.

The voice in her head, that strong steady voice from so long ago repeated to her mind:

 **You may never intentionally reveal yourself to the planet's children including your own.**

Until that moment, that clear precise moment, she hadn't been sure it was even real. Looking into the mirror's reflection, She stared into her own dark brown eyes, so different than the royal silver-blue ones from her past life. That the stories, memories and dreams of a lifetime ago were not just some odd figment of an overactive imagination, that she wasn't wrapping herself in fantasy to avoid the boring doldrums of middle age motherhood.

She had been a Queen, maybe arguably, The Queen. Now relegated to observer, to a steady hand in the background to aim for the best. Those that determine such things had been clear. The voice also ordered:

 **You may never use the Ginzuishou, it is not yours to bare.**

It after all, took her life. It may have actually been the deity-esque voice, she wasn't exactly sure. But, she knew, she would never use it again. No matter the consequences for the future, it was not _hers_. Lost for a millenia, somewhere hidden and safe. Hopefully it would stay that way. But, she knew all things had purpose, and she was here. Evil persists.

Here, Earthborn, she had been blessed with two children, and a husband. She'd been blessed to a world where she was a caregiver, and taken care of. It thus far, had been a simple, enjoyable life.

An alarm beeped on a side table, and she spun towards it- yanked out of her thoughts. She stepped out of her bedroom with a loud shout down the hallway "Usagi! You're going to be LATE !"

Her voice was quickly followed by a whirlwind of a teenager running out the door so fast she may have missed it from aside the noise.

A few minutes later a black cat sauntered down each stair step, clearly taking her time and seeking out a sunspot near the living room window.

Ikuko walked over, with a long steady look before kneeling on the floor. With a momentary pause- as she knew the consequences for breaking the rules were her immediate removal from this world- she softly pet the relaxing animal. After a moment she whispered "Thank you for keeping her company. She needs it."

And with that, she went to make her own breakfast.

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	2. Awakening

Usagi closed the front door with a slam, loud enough that Ikuko jumped, running from the kitchen. Her daughter's royal blue eyes were wide with an expression that could only be made out of adrenaline and fear. Ikuko's heart sank as Usagi stomped her way to the dining room table, breath still quick and she sat in a chair slumping over, backpack dropping to the floor.

Uncharatistic for Usagi, she didn't say a single word. Ikuko noticed something startling: in one hand resting above her head, gripped tightly within white-knuckled fingers, a pink heart shaped brooch.

Luna was headbutting her calf in an expression of concern. Though emotions on the cat have always been hard to distinguish, Serenity had plenty of time in the past with the advisor to know. She looked at Luna accusingly: had she made her daughter a senshi?

 _What had happened?_

That had _not_ been in the instructions. She _knew_ the instructions. She had been the one to _give_ the instructions personally about awakening the senshi to protect the world, finding the princess and acquiring the Ginzuishou in times of great need.

Without warning, rage flew through her body so fast, she almost gave away everything. Her daughter _couldn't_ fight. Not like this, and not _alone._

"Usagi honey, what's wrong?" Ikuko asked calmly, in a voice of practiced steadiness from a time along ago. She reached out, resting a gentle hand on one of the golden buns on her head.

Usagi looked up at her mother, those beautiful blue eyes filled with tears, quickly flickering between confusion and thought. The emotive teenager tried a subtle glance at Luna, who shook her head before scratching her ear to hide their non-verbal communication. If Ikuko hadn't been armed with an extensive knowledge of her past, she would have never guessed the two were actually communicating with each other. She saw Usagi bite her lip thinking of an excuse.

Her daughter was a horrible liar in this time, though Princess Serenity hadn't been much better at it. She just was so overtly expressive, that there were hundreds of signs etched across her face.

Ikuko stood in silence waiting, with a little tap of her foot. "What is going on? What happened?" She prompted.

"I...I got in a fight with a boy." She stated softly. "Stupid boy... _Baka_." Ikuko heard her mutter, she raised an eyebrow at this.

"Oops. Sorry, Mama." Usagi turned red realizing her mother had heard her the whole time.

Ikuko gave her s small nod before carefully reaching towards her into a big hug. "Did he hurt you?"

"No, nothing like that." Usagi pulled back, and looked at the pink broach still in her hand accusingly. "He just…" She trailed off, struggling with an explanation.

Luna chose that moment to scratch Usagi's leg, and she leaped away with a whine. "Luna! That wasn't nice!" She admonished, then picking up the cat and pulling the cat to her chest.

"Did, did he give you that piece of jewelry?" She asked, pointing at the brooch still in her hand.

Usagi looking at it almost in bewilderment. "I...guess he did?" Usagi glanced down at Luna, who nodded and marked her face as cats do, but it was confirmation that was a good enough answer.

Ikuko bit her lip, mulling her options. "Can, can I see it?"

"Uhh, sure." Usagi handed it over, as Luna climbed onto her shoulders to stare directly at Ikuko.

Ikuko hadn't held anything magical in this lifetime.

The knowledge of magic, and the presence of magic were two different distinct things. She could feel the hum of the brooch in her fingertips, she knew the incantations as if she had written them herself. She stared at the little crescent golden moon of her kingdom, and the jewels for each of the senshi. The pink and gold deceiving of the power it held. "It is beautiful." She casually commented.

"I...just don't know if I like him that much," Usagi replied, grabbing the compact back from her hand a little to quickly.

"Regardless, you should keep that close to you. It's precious. I wonder where it came from."

"Yeah, I guess...Thanks Mom." Usagi gave her mother a quick peck on the cheek before running upstairs. Ikuko waited until she heard her daughter's bedroom door close before following to listen in.

"...You can't tell them. _Ever_. It would put them more in danger, Usagi." Luna's voice was steady and calm, instructive.

"I...this is just so new to me. I'm supposed to not only find the princess, but fight the dark kingdom too? And keep it all a secret from my family at the same time? It is just too much, Luna."

"Once we find the princess it will get easier. She will know what to do." Luna stated with assurance.

Ikuko leaned against the wall, eyes closed. Luna didn't recognize her daughter as a princess. Even with the hairstyle.

In that moment, the reality of this new world for her daughter came crashing around her, there had to be an enemy, something was wrong in this world and her woefully unprepared emotive, caring, impossibly optimistic daughter was being thrust into it with no forewarning. Ikuko found she had tears running down her face as she slipped into her own bedroom, closing the door before sinking to the floor.

How in the world was her daughter supposed to fight? And, how in the world was she supposed to _not_ intervene? She wondered if they made her watch this because of her hubris to ask for the Crystal to cheat death. That, this; this moment of realization and anything to come was in fact her punishment.

Her punishment to watch her daughter suffer and to be unable to acknowledge it in any real way that would help or be of comfort.

Her punishment to not only watch her daughter suffer, but be helpless to ease or prevent any of the pain that she knew Usagi would be facing. Threats unkind, cruel and without mercy.

 _What could she do?_

First, she needed them to understand Usagi was the princess.


	3. Matchmaker

A/N Thanks for all the lovely support on this document thus far. This took longer than expected- but I think its worth it! Enjoy. Standard fan fiction disclaimers apply.

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It was storming, and above the rain and the thunder Ikuko could hear Usagi's angry voice before she opened the front door.

"See, I'm _home_ now, BAKA, I'm fine. Now shoo!" She moved one of her hands gesturing out the door, so close to his face he had to dodge her.

"Odango...I just…" Usagi opened the door to stomp inside, fiddling to get her umbrella closed, a dark hair gentleman holding his umbrella over her as she seethed, struggling to remove her pink and yellow rain boots. He kept her from getting wet, as she actually hadn't stepped inside yet.

 _Prince Endymion,_ Ikuko recognized him immediately. Usagi was having none of his chivalry.

"Usagi, dear, your not going to send him back out in the rain are you?" She asked gently, as Usagi got ready to close the door in his face. Her blue eyes widened, looking between Ikuko and Mamoru, and with an exaggerated sigh "You should come in until the rain lets up. But don't let it go to your head."

"I won't." He tugged on one of her soaked pigtails like a 10 year old boy in love, and Usagi scowled.

"My hair, my rules!" Usagi grabbed her own soaked blonde streamers of hair away with a glare, which all fell away when then thunder crashed and Usagi jumped almost five feet off the ground.

"Get inside and close the door noooooww!" She yanked his hand, slamming the door suddenly much closer to him than she had been the second before. Ikuko watches as Usagi looked up at the much taller Mamoru, a blush fluttering to her cheeks as she stared at his features for a moment.

Ikuko decided to redirect her train of thought, "Usagi, who is this handsome young man?"

Usagi's face became bright red, caught in her gaze of him, taking a large step away from the man who she'd moved closer to in her momentary panic. She quickly gave Mamoru a glance that Ikuko read as (yes he is actually handsome now that you said it). Ikuko refrained from laughing at her daughter's theatrical expressions. "I've got some cookies baking, and I'm sure a warm treat before going back out in this troublesome weather will do you some good. Take a seat...I'm Ikuko."

"Chiba Mamoru. It's nice to meet you, Mrs. Tsukino." He politely bowed before entering the house, and removing his shoes.

"Please, just Ikuko here. Thank you for walking my daughter home, it's nice to see someone with manners."

"He just did it because Motoki insisted!" Usagi crossed her arms.

"He was afraid you'd blow over!"

"Whose Motoki?

"My Friend-" "The arcade guy-" They said simultaneously. They glanced at each other as they realized they had spoke at the same time, then fell into an awkward silence waiting for each other, each gesturing for the other to speak first.

"I'll come back with the cookies, if I can leave you two alone." Ikuko winked, and Usagi turned bright red. She noticed how they settled as far apart as they could on the couch, trying so hard not to look at each other, but both of them stealing little glances.

 _Those two are so in love and don't even know it._

Ikuko quickly darted into the kitchen before Usagi could protest. Ikuko knew the cookies had a few minutes left, so she stayed in full earshot of the living room.

"The only reason you're here-" Usagi began

"Relax, Odango, would you?"

"Stop it. Do not call me that."

"You're cute when you're flustered." Mamoru teased not at all phased by her reply, and laughed as her face became redder. "Careful, or you'll get stuck like that. Oh, by the way, may I please use your restroom?"

"Shut up, Baka." Usagi replied through gritted teeth. "Through the kitchen, and once in the hallway it's the first door on your right...I hope you think of Niagara _Falls_ before you get there.."

Mamoru gave her a thousand watt smile, before shaking his head and walking away. Usagi flopped down on the couch, arms crossed. Her face had not been red in anger anymore, but...well Mako might have said she was blushing (it wouldn't have been the first time).

He thought she was cute?

Usagi groaned as she shook her head. He was just being a sarcastic jerk. He didn't mean any of that.

Did he?

She hated how confused she just made herself.

Ikuko smiled at their banter. She thought of speaking with Usagi alter about her attitude. She busied herself near the oven as Mamoru came through the door. She pointed him in the right direction. "Oh, by the way hun, stop back here on your way back."

Mamoru nodded, with a small smile. On his way back, he stopped in the kitchen, as directed. "Ma'am?"

"Ikuko, dear. Ikuko."

"Right...Sorry. Ikuko...You wanted to see me?"

Ikuko observed him. Tall and handsome. Nervous too, having stuffed his hands into his pockets, while he shifted his weight from one foot to the other, trying to figure out exactly what she wanted. Ikuko remembered meeting the prince, in a different lifetime. This boy was less confident in his movements, also definitely more awkward with her daughter, at least for now. She took a moment to leave him standing there as she pulled the cookies out of the oven.

"How long have you known my daughter?"

"Not long, she just frequents the arcade my friend works at...and she has the propensity to run into me, literally."

"Does she?"

He shifted more visibly, looking at the door. He didn't say anything but shrug.

She smiled to try and relax the poor boy, "Here, grab a few cookies before Usagi gets to them."

Suddenly, before Mamoru could politely decline, lightning flashed, followed by booming thunder and the power flickered out.

"Mom!"

"Aware Usagi. I'm aware." Ikuko replied into the darkness.

"Mom, I-Ow! Mooom!"

Both heard the whine to her voice, and the clatter of what she assumed was her nice table lamp. "Sorry! Sorry!" Usagi called out. The heard a bump as she walked into something else.

"Usagi, would you please stay put?" Ikuko sighed.

"Sorry dear...She's...well, she's Usagi. I love my child dearly, I swear I do. But sometimes she doesn't always use the brain I know she's been given…"

Mamoru chuckled, grateful she couldn't see the wide smile or twinkle in his eyes.

"Here, let me." Mamoru offered pulling out his phone and turning on the flashlight.

"Thank you, Mamoru. It looks as if the storm isn't about to let up anytime soon. I implore you to please stay the night. It's too terrible to go back out there."

Mamoru stammered. "I'll call your parents if you need me too, I'm sure they don't want you out…"

"That won't be an issue. Mrs Tsukino." He said curtly, voice cordial and distant.

"Don't think I'm going to let you walk out of here, Usagi may be brash but no one should be out in this weather."

"I meant…" He paused. "I live alone." Mamoru's voice was steady, but that steadiness conveyed the factual absence of support, the self reliance of a boy turned into a man to soon. Ikuko rarely heard so much in so little.

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear...Well, that settles it, You are staying. Usagi won't wait much longer in the dark for these cookies. Come."

"Somehow, I have no doubt." Mamoru commented, only for Ikuko to hear.

They both knew that they shared a smile.

Lightning flashed, illuminating the living room for just a second, and before the thunder could even start, Usagi shrieked.

"Usagi, please breathe." Ikuko admonished, putting the cookies on the table.

Through the lighting flashes, Mamoru saw Usagi easily found cookies.

"You're not going to stress eat now, are you?"

"Momma's cookies are good for the soul- eat one!" She encouraged, placing a cookie into his hand. She paused then, wide eye breath hitched as their skin touched ever so briefly. They gazed at each other in the low light, Usagi fidgeting in the silence pulling her hand back. Ikuko waited for a moment to see if the two would recover, but they didn't. "So, do you go to the same school as Usagi?"

"I go to Moto-Azabu High School"

"He's the class president, but I'm not sure _why."_ Usagi added.

He shrugged. "Honestly, I'm not sure why either."

"Well, with such a smart young man here, I hope you'll let him help you with your homework."

"Mom-" Usagi groaned, and Ikuko cut her off.

"Don't you think that just because the power is out, you can get out of your assignments do you? It's not an excuse, and I'm sure Mamoru's English is better than yours."

Before Usagi could protest, Mamoru to distract himself from the quiet awkward moments decided to agree "I can...in fact my English is actually pretty good. I just passed the TOFEL because I want to study in America."

"Do you?"

"I want to be a doctor, and...to go to an American University I need to speak English really well. I've been studying for ages."

"That is fantastic. I wish you the best of luck. Usagi, I'm going to go get some candles to help light up this room. Go get your backpack and get started okay? No excuses."

"Yes Momma." Usagi took the cell phone on the table to wonder towards the door to grab her backpack, while Ikuko headed upstairs to find some candles. The phone rang, and Usagi answered it, when Ikuko came back down, Usagi handed the phone back.

"Papa says he is stuck at work due to the rain, and said not to worry about him. He'll come home after it calms down a bit."

"Thanks dear." Ikuko placed a few candles in the room, lighting each one. "Here, that should be enough light for you two, I'm going to see what I can make without power for dinner.

Ikuko disappeared into the kitchen. In truth, she'd already decided that a salad was going to be something simple until the power returned. The storm should pass over by midnight, according to the weather. She sat by the door, lost in her own thoughts and her own decisions of a life now lost. How much she'd interfered in their relationship in a past life, and how utterly useless it had been to try to keep her kind hearted soul of a daughter with a such a certainty and a desire to love, from doing exactly what she did best. And, how utterly guilty she'd felt about it- she could see the heartbreak, the frustration the sneaking around. She also saw the inevitable destruction. She considered how it was easy she had chosen to blame the forbidden love, when there were so many factors leading to Chaos' reign. And yet, she couldn't blame her daughter, because she saw who they were together. The way their traits complemented each other, the way Usagi's soul simply sang. And, that it somehow made her stronger.

Maybe that had been her mistake, the final mistake, not understanding how powerful love was as a force against the darkness.

She wouldn't make it again.

So Ikuko chose to dote, with the candles and the prompts. Watching as Mamoru underlined words sitting next to Usagi who chewed on her pencil with a frown. Then would glance over at his serious expression with a hint of a blush on her face. And how she listened to him and how his voice carried, and then reacted to his little teases.

Ikuko didn't need light to imagine Usagi's wide eyes at having a _boy_ in the home in the _dark_ even if they were in the living room. She was young after all.

And love was in the air.

It couldn't make up for her past mistakes, but _this time_ she'd make sure that she was there to enjoy her daughter's happiness rather than fearing it.

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	4. Princess

A/N: Thank you for all the support and lovely reviews. This chapter takes a different turn, I am nervous about everyone's opinion on this, so please review! I'm really flexible in writing this, and future chapters are less planned so **your opinion is really important.**

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Days past, and Usagi looked exhausted. One by one, the other girls showed up so young and vibrant and full of life. But, Ikuko could see the subtle changes in her daughter at the dinner table. It was just momentary pauses, maybe a fraction of a second, Ikuko would see a tell of a girl fighting against a great evil: a flicker of a frown on her face, a tensing at a noise, a glance at Luna, the way her hand protectively hovered over her brooch before she'd actively throw herself into whatever was happening with the vigor and life she always had. Usagi clung to normalcy in the way that Princess Serenity clung to Earth.

Ikuko's nights were filled with helpless pacing, long sleepless nights. It was unfathomable the anxiety she had, about the evil that she'd seen overtake an entire kingdom, that _she thought had been prepared for their invasion._ And these girls, these five, teenage, reincarnated human girls were relying on their mere eighth grade education and instinct to get them through. She'd peak into Usagi's bedroom, to see the empty bed, open window...more often than not the moon shining down on her bed, framing the scene. And Ikuko would do the only thing she could: pray, and sure enough, long nights would turn into mornings. Ikuko would check the morning news before Usagi awoke, listening to the broadcast for any sign of them fighting, and sadly, more often than not an altercation would have taken place.

Today was Sunday morning, and Usagi stumbled down to breakfast like she had a hangover. She grumbling for the toast that Ikuko had made hours earlier, and sitting down with some juice to eat without saying a single word.

Ikuko pushed a small bowl of cereal in front of Usagi's slumped body as well, before sitting down next to her at the small table, "Morning sweetheart."

Usagi pushed the bowl aside, placing her head on the table closing her blue eyes with a bit of a grumble, "Maybe I should go back to bed."

"Or maybe we could go shopping together? I need an new outfit...and we haven't spent a lot of time together recently?"

Usagi sat up, "Really? Today?"

Ikuko smiled, kissing her forehead. "You look like you could use some cheering up."

"Mom, I'm fine, but yes! Lets goooo!"

"Well, go get dressed, we'll grab donuts on the way."

Usagi's exuberance restored, she sprinted up stairs and was dressed and ready to go within a matter of minutes. "Great, lets take Kenji's car this time okay?"

"Really? You never drive."

"It is my treat today!"

After a far to long car ride, which Usagi dosed during, they arrived at the shopping center. The mall was crowded, and Ikuko took as leisurely pace as Usagi sprinted from one store to the next, trying on outfits and asking her opinion for this or that. Ikuko loved her energy, how she'd fawn over jewelry, get excited about cute toys, manga, anything and everything really. Going to the mall was taking a step or two until Usagi was distracted by something else, so Ikuko took her time, encouraging her daughter to think if that item was really worth it, and occasionally flashing the plastic card with a grin and "Papa's buying."

Which, he was.

She'd hear about how she spoiled the girl later, but it was worth it. A crash was heard across the complex, and she saw her daughter twirl towards the noise, taking a step forward, hand instinctively going towards her brooch. Ikuko closed the distance them, grabbing Usagi by the arm with a simple command "We need to go."

Usagi stood frozen, staring into the distance were dust was rising, the youma obscured by falling concrete. People were screaming and running around them.

"Mom, you need to get out of here…"

"ENERGY~" The creature screeched, purple tendrils reaching out in the fog, people starting to pass out around them, screaming diminishing as energy left them.

Ikuko felt a psychic tug on her body, as a dark smokey mist surrounded her. It drew out her energy, cold feeling in her hands as her heart beat started to slow. She grit her teeth, she could see a hovering blond figure behind the younma, dusty, but clearly humanoid. Someone was watching, as her world started to go black and she stumbled.

She heard her daughter yell "Mom!" followed by a quick shake of her shoulders, and she could barely make out her daughters face, much less respond. A moment later she heard "Moon Prism Power!"

Ikuko kept her eyes open from where she was laying on the floor, vaguely aware of the battle around her, trying to pull anything together. She pushed herself to her knees, looking around as each of the inner senshi showed up. The youma looked like a postcard rack with eyes and tentacles, throwing super sharp cardstock at them randomly. With unskilled dodges, and a little luck, Sailor Moon summoned her tiara a bright white light flashed and the youma turned to iridescent dust.

Ikuko breathed a sigh of relief as energy rushed back into her body, but before she could do anything, she was yanked up by her hair, a metallic object to her neck.

"You should do more to protect your loved ones, Sailor Moon." The calm voice boomed next to her ear as he firmly held her against him. The voice sent chills down her spine, she didn't have to see him to know exactly who it was, General Kunzite, steady and firm, calculating and callous. She was just a pawn in this moment.

 _I am not going to die today_.

She connected eyes with her daughter, trying to calm her breathing taking in where each of the Senshi were in a protective formation, Tuxedo Kamen standing on the second floor overhang.

"Give me the princess and I'll let her live."

 _Did anyone know who the princess was?_ She couldn't linger on that thought.

"You have 48 hours to give her and the silver crystal to me, or the woman…" Sailor Moon screamed, charging forward blindly not thinking of the consequences.

In that moment Ikuko stomped as hard as she could on Kunzite's foot, thankfully wearing heels to apply enough force to likely break it. His balance fell forward and she used his momentum to wrench his hand away, trying to get far enough away that the girls would launch some magical attack at the general.

He grabbed her by the hair, putting her towards him then throwing her to the ground, sidestepping the charging sailor moon. In a fluid movement, he opened a portal beneath the ground she was laying on.

She fell through, suddenly slamming into the cold stone ground, knocking out her breath.

He landed next to her, as she scrambled to look at him, really only seeing his immaculate black boots.

"Nobody injuries me and gets away with it, human."

She pushed herself onto her knees looking up at the silver haired man.

"Nobody threatens my daughter and lives," she stated back in a similar cadence.

He took a step back and laughed.

"I see where Sailor Moon gets her fearlessness from."

With the space she stood up, voice low as she stared him down, "I mean it."

"You will learn that there are forces out there greater than you could ever conceive."

He raised a gloved hand, and generated a black percussive energy wave. It threw her off her feet and into the stone wall behind her. He stepped up slowly, she trying to scramble back up, all grace and bravado lost.

"Tell me, do you know who the princess is?"

"I didn't even know my daughter was one of those sailor things!" She yelled at him, a lie but good enough.

"Pity, I don't believe you." He crouched down next to her laying figure. She looked up at him, staring into his eyes, barley the blue of ice, calculating and unmerciful.

She willed her body not to shake.

Of all the things she learned in the Silver Millennium, training on what to do if captured was one of the things she desperately did not want to have to utilize.

She clung to the thought- they don't know Usagi's the princess, all she has to do is keep her mouth shut.

He ran a gloved hand down her cheek and she flinched backwards, hitting her head against the stone wall behind her. She grunted.

He laughed.

"I'll let you think about what kind of pain I could cause you for a few minutes, to see if you change your mind. If you don't, more fun for me." Kunzite stood up, turning around and walking out of the dark cell, leaving Ikuko in the oppressive silence of the dark kingdom.

She took a deep breath. All she had to do was not talk. That's it. _Don't say another word._

The cold sunk into her bones, and she curled to conserve warmth. _You were not reborn to give your daughter up,_ she chanted in her head. Her mind sorted strategy. She had advantages primarily they thought she was weak, unskilled and untrained in these types of situations. Kunzite already had underestimated her. In addition she knew who they were, who the enemy was and exactly what they were after. Disadvantages were far more pressing and overwhelming. The cold was going to be problematic sooner than later, hypothermia could easily settle in. The bleak cell hummed with dark energy around her was messing with her thoughts and energy levels. And, most disturbing, she was completely powerless to do actually anything against these people. She had to wait for rescue from a set of teenage girls who had been fighting the dark kingdom with no memories for, what _three months_ maybe?

She'd sealed Metalia to the earth, she knew she was still on the planet at least. But even if she escaped, she didn't have a way to make it back to Tokyo and the likeliness they were anywhere near civilization was slim to none.

 _Hold on to hope._

"Whose the little human?" A voice called out with a laugh. In the darkness she couldn't see, past the door. After the clattering of the cell door a young blonde man with curly hair entered, looking down at her where she remained curled up on the floor. He tapped her shin with his boot, as if checking if she was awake.

"Pathetic human."

She looked up at him. _Zoisite._ "Who...are you? Why am I here? Where am I?"

"Fool." He didn't bother to answer her questions, before pulling her up by her hair.

She bit her lip to keep from crying out, as he looked at her curiously.

"You're braver than the common folk I meet."

She didn't say a word.

"Hey, Zoisite, what are you doing?" A voice called out, Kunzite's, sounding mildly annoyed.

"Looking at our prisoner. Do you think she knows?" Zoisite took a step back, eyeing Ikuko against the wall.

"Well, once we present her to Beryl, we'll turn her. Then, we'll know everything she does."

Panic gripped her soul, _no no no no no no_ ...

"Then have her attack the little sailor moon? That brat won't kill her."

"If she knows who the princess is, she will be in our hands in no time."

Ikuko pushed off the wall, skirting past Zoisite and leaping out the gated door, pushing Kunzite in with a poorly executed kick, but enough to throw him off balance and for her to slam shut the gate. She didn't think it would stop them, but she needed some distance. Any distance.

She needed time.

If they put her in front of Beryl, everything would be lost, and she'd be as mindless and soulless as the generals after her.

She turned a corner, the little light not really guiding her, running blindly looking for an alcove or something to hide in in the tavern system.

 _They will get here. They will find me. They are Senshi._

The clattering of the gate echoed as it opened, she needed to hide and fast. She looked around, picking a direction, and she thought she could see a little natural crevice above, where the ceiling didn't quite meet smoothly. It looked big enough for her. She pushed herself up the wall, climbing frantically, cursing her lack of body strength as she tucked herself in, pressing herself against the cold stone and trying to blend in with the darkness.

A voice she wished she'd never hear again came from everywhere and nowhere at once "Find Her!"

All she could do was pray.

She pressed herself against the wall, hearing footsteps coming closer.

Their voices echoed off the wall

"That bitch can't have gone far." Kunzite voice boomed down the hall.

"What if...what if she's the _princess?_ I swear when we said Beryl _,_ she knew exactly who we were talking about. It was subtle, but she didn't make a move until we mentioned her."

"Zoicite, that may be the smartest thing you've said all day. I could see that. But she'd teleport out of here, no questions. That human is smart...ballsy even, but unquestionably powerless. If she were hiding the crystal, we'd know it."

"Either way, Beryl will take care of her, if I don't kill her first."

"Wait." Kunzite commanded holding is hand out to stop the other general. They both came to a standstill, maybe 20 feet past her niche.

"Zoisite, with your powers of observation, what was she wearing?"

"A casual dress. Why?"

"No, shoes. What were her shoes?"

"Heels, maybe 2 inches."

"We'd hear her running on these floors. She's not. She's hiding. She has to be close."

"Here little princess…" Zoicite called out with a whistle.

Ikuko bit her lip hard for something to focus on other than panic. It was ineffective. The fact they considered _she_ might be 'the princess' ( _that_ wasn't a term she'd heard in reference to herself in a really, really long time _)_ was far too close to comfort, and would accelerate any confrontation with Beryl.

The hallway suddenly got bright, as Zoisite summoned energy to hold in his hand to illuminate the hallway.

"Retrace backwards, I'll go forward." Kunzite pointed backwards.

Zoicite looked up, seeing the light cast interesting shadows in the place she was hiding. He floated upwards, coming eye to eye with Ikuko.

She leaped at him like a feral animal, but he swiftly threw her to the ground, and had her pinned.

"Found her!" He called out gleefully, knee against her shoulder. She glared at him.

"Could you be the princess I'm looking for?"

She shook her head.

He punched her hard.

"That's for your insolence."

Her cheekbone throbbed, and she felt blood flow inside of her mouth. She spit at him.

"Get her up, we're going to the queen."

Kunzite watched her with eyes of a trained warrior, all of the leeway she had earlier lost. He grabbed her arm.

"You run, I kill you. Orders be damned."

She didn't struggle, especially with nowhere to run. She tried to call on some internal power, some spark she knew existed in the universe, that in another time hummed at her fingertips and came upon nothing. If she'd been alone, she would have cried in frustration, but here in this place weakness was not an option. They lead her silently and swiftly, jerking her to throw her off balance, but not enough to push her back to the ground.

They turned a corner and entered a large room.

An empty dias sat on the far wall, dark stone with steps up to a throne carved into the wall.

"On your knees."

She didn't move.

Zoicite kicked the back of her knees, and she crashed to the floor.

 _I will not give in_. She looked up, trying to pull herself back up. Kunzite grabbed her by the hair, pulling her head down to the floor.

"You will pay your respects." After a pause Kunzite called into the empty room, "Beryl-sama, you have an audience."

Ikuko closed her eyes tight, reciting prayers to the universe, to the silver crystal, to anyone who might hear her.

 _I was not reborn to die here, I was not reborn to turn into a puppet._

Suddenly, there was a flash of warm white light and the room erupted into chaos as 5 Sailor Senshi sprung into immediate action.

Zoicite and Kunzite moved from her side, and she backed up to the far side of the room as the room interrupted into melee.

The sword was wrenched out Kunzite's hand, tumbling to the ground with a large clang. Tuxedo Mask quickly kicked the sword farther away, it skidding across the floor landing almost in front of Ikuko's feet. Kunzite backed up, to avoid a lethal strike from his former prince, and raised his palms high, dark energy aimed to blast the masked hero backward, which he did with alarming speed.

Ikuko watched as the caped hero flew back into the cavern wall, heard the shrill cry of Sailor Moon as she disengaged from a summoned purple humanoid Youma, sprinting over to her fallen prince. Kunzite with white straight hair, stoic face and blank, brainwashed eyes, was clearly waiting to take another blast at Sailor Moon in her distraction.

Ikuko remained unnoticed, likely as she was the only (supposed) non magical being in the room, the only one not throwing magic and dismissed outright is as unimportant as the cavern walls. She squatted, not taking her eyes of the white haired villain, gripping the sword with both hands. It was heavier than she expected, and truthfully her sword fighting skills were absolutely nill.

She mustered all the authority she could place into her voice, a second before he was to release a dark energy blast.

"General Kunzite, you will not harm my daughter."

His entire body pivoted, and his jaw twitched as he coldly stared at her.

"And what does the _princess_ think she's going to do with my sword?"

That was all the time it took for Sailor Moon to panic with a shrill cry, and blast back Kunzite with a flash of white light, which evaporated the youma in the room.

Ikuko shielded her eyes from the brightness, meanwhile the still glowing Sailor Moon ran over to her and calling the Senshi and a mostly recovered Tuxedo Mask to Sailor Teleport out of this place.

Ikuko looked at the sword in hand, unwavering gaze at her daughter, "I'm taking this with me."

No one questioned her.

The five Senshi linked hands around her, and in a flash of light they were back in the Tsukino's residence living room.

She barely blinked at the change, though the girls visibly relaxed out of the cave system she'd been transported into. She placed the sword point down, holding the hilt at her side as if a prize for the fight and looked at the girls.

"So, my daughter is Sailor Moon."

Sailor Moon shifted back and forth on her feet awkwardly before dropping the transformation. The girls didn't follow in her lead remaining transformed and surrounding her as her guard a moment Usagi spoke. "Kunzite thinks _your_ the princess?" Five pairs of wide eyes stared at her expectantly.

"I'm not." She stated simply. "I have no idea where he got that from. I'd consider myself more a Queen, if anything _."_ Ikuko akwardly laughed with a wink.

Usagi's eyes got wide for a brief second. "Mom are you okay? You've been through ALOT. "

Ikuko nodded, tucking her navy hair behind one ear. "Ice would be nice, I took a pretty hard punch. I'm just worried about you, dear. They kidnapped me to get at you." Ikuko shrugged. "You must have been worried sick. Are you girls thirsty, hungry? I do have questions, and none of you are leaving until I get answers."

Maybe it was her royal heritage, maybe it was her maternal protective streak, or maybe it was that she was still casually holding on to the enemy's sword as a consolation prize, but the girls agreed without hesitation to food and discussion.

She looked at the sword, before handing it to Mamoru. "You should keep this." She said, without further explanation, walking past the magical guards into the kitchen where she was alone.

She calmed herself by going through routine, putting the kettle on the stove, finding some ingredients to chop and stir fry. She allowed her turbulent emotions to still as she rinsed starch off a bowl of uncooked rice. Quietly filling, stirring, draining, and repeat. Her heart calming as the water turned from milky white to clear. She has an acute acutely awareness they were strategizing in the other room their reveal, and she let them.

After all, she knew their answers, their secrets, their story. She knew it better than any of them did. And she wanted to pull her daughter close and tell her how proud she was, and how she was going to be okay, and that this was exactly what she had been trying to avoid all those years ago.

And she couldn't, at least not how she wanted too. But Tsukino Ikuko could now tell her daughter that she was proud, that she can see the superhero behind those teenage eyes, that the amount of work and responsibility must be a terrible, terrible burden.

At least that part wouldn't be a secret.

"Mom?" Usagi's voice asked from the kitchen doorway.

Ikuko looked down, seeing that the rice bowl had now overfilled with water in her thoughts. "I'm sorry honey. You're busy trying to save the world, and I can't make you a proper dinner."

"You don't have to do anything...Do you want help?"

Ikuko looked at the bowl of rice for a second and put it aside. "Why don't we just order pizza and then talk."

"Yeah, I think we'd like that."

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	5. Conversation

A/N: I'm back! Actually a lovely reviewer reminded me this existed and so I decided to work on it some more. This is why reviews are good. So there is a bit of a jump between the last drabble and this one- which takes place after Usagi finds out she's the Princess. So an unspecified scene happens between the last chapter and this one.

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"Mom?" Usagi asked at the doorway to the master bedroom, taking a look where Ikuko was relaxing on the bed with a book. Kenji and Shingo were still downstairs playing video games together.

"Hmm?"

Usagi shifted on her feet, hair down in a loose ponytail, in her pink pajamas, she paused for a moment.

"Can I sit with you?"

Ikuko scooted over in the bed, patting it for her to sit down. Usagi curled, knees close, leaning into her mom's shoulder.

"You know I love you right?"

Ikuko hugged her girl. "Of course I do, now what is this about?" Ikuko watched as her confident, exuberant girl became quiet and almost...timid, staring off into the far wall and not making eye contact at all.

"Cuz...part of what I told you today is that I have another mom...from another time."

Ikuko winced on the inside that she wished she could spare her this pain, this loss. That she was right here beside her listening and telling her everything she could.

Ikuko kissed her daughter on the forehead. "I'm not an expert on reincarnation or anything, but I _know_ I'm your mom now, and I'd think it would be normal you'd miss her, and think of her as your mother. After all, she gave you a wonderful gift, I think."

Usagi paused, looking at the pink and gold brooch that magically materialized in her hand at her command. "She gave...everything for me." She whispered, tears falling, thumbs trailing the crescent moon inlay. "I...I do miss her. I think she would know what to do, and I worry about doing enough to make her proud. What if I waste this chance? What if I don't do enough, what if I lose? It's scary out there, Mom."

"Well, I can tell you for sure that she is proud of you. Just call it maternal instinct." It fell into silence for a few moments. "Hmm… Usagi-chan? If it's okay, would you tell me what she was like? Have you ever talked about her to anyone? Actually grieved?"

Usagi shrugged. "Luna, a little bit...when...when I found out everything was such a whirlwind... So...no, not really. I haven't known for very long..."

"So, what was she like?"

"Truefully, I don't remember much...it's more feelings, and little flashes."

"That's okay, just start wherever. She was Queen right?"

"Yeah. And she was so...intelligent, and caring and kind. She could tell a whole room, with a gaze that she was paying attention to them. She thought complex things through so quickly, she was very wise. She made everyone feel important, even when she was mad at them, and oh, she could be terrifying when she was mad."

"Terrifying doesn't sound like a good quality for a Queen." Ikuko commented, sort of jokingly as listening to a description of herself was sort of surreal, like she was invading her daughter's privacy in a way. But she could feel Usagi needed to talk.

"Okay, maybe not terrifying, but stern. She really believed in rules and procedure and process. She was fair and straightforward, and the consequences _did_ matter. She did not play favorites, even with me. I know she loved me, but she had high expectations...and I...chose to fall in love with him."

"I don't think you chose to fall in love. I think it happens. You and Mamoru , I see the way you look at each other, I know that that sort of love isn't a choice. And apparently, it transcends death."

"I wish...I wish _she_ knew that. I didn't mean...I didn't want…"

Ikuko's heart froze in her chest. Could her child think that the fall of the moon kingdom was her _fault_? Did her moonbeam think she was responsible for the loss of a civilization?

"It was not your fault." She said too firmly.

"But...I _knew_ the risks, mom. You can't understand, I was a princess and I had huge responsibilities and I knew the risks of Earth but I didn't care. And _everyone_ paid for it. My _mother_ paid for it."

"From...from what I understand, and what you told me earlier, there was a great evil in the world, and it attacked you. Love, doesn't make evil, that's not how it works. Laws and rules...they mitigate risk, but they cannot control the forces in the universe."

Usagi sniffed. "That...that's like something _she_ would say."

"Good, because you need to hear it."

"...Thank you."

"If you need any other stern talking to, I'm always here to try. I love you so much...and I'm so proud of everything you've done."

"Mom...you have no idea how much that means to me right now."

"I'm here as much as I can be. I...I think I was blessed to have you as my daughter, even if you have a convoluted past life. You are my little girl, superpowers or no."

Usagi squeezed her mom tight. "Thank you sooo hmuch!"

"Now, you do have school in the morning, so you should get some rest."

"Moooooom"

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